Doob supporting hinge and locking



Sept. l2, 1939.

G. F. CLAUS DOOR SUPPORTING HTIGE4 AND LOCKING MEANS Filed Feb. 18, 1939 ...3. wann/4.

Patented sept. 12, 1939 2,172,649

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR SUPPORTING HINGE AND LOCKING MEANS George F. Claus, Denver, Colo.

Application February 18, 1939, Serial No. 257,243

3 Claims. (Cl. Ztl- 16) This invention relates to door structures and invention, showing the hinge supports at the pertains particularly to improvements in mechedges thereof and the locking means, this section anism for hanging or supporting the same and being taken upon the line I--I of Fig. 2. for locking the same. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the structure The present invention has for its primary obshown in Fig. 1, portions being broken away. 5 ject to provide a novel and improved mechanism Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of for hingedly supporting a door structure whereby Fig. 2. such door structure is normally secured at each Fig. 4 is a Vertical section on the line 4 4 of its four vertical edges to the vertical sides of of Fig. 2.

l0 a door jamb and may be released for swinging Fig. 5 illustrates in bottom plan a means for 10 movement on a pivot adjacent any one of the said preventing accidental downward movement of four edges by releasing the securing means at the pintle rods.

the other three edges. Referring now more particularly to the draw- Still another object of the invention is to proing, the numeral lil designates a door in the cenvide in a door structure supporting means of the trai portion of which is an opening Il. Upon 15 above described character, a novel means for each side face of the door is mounted the auxillocking or securing the door whereby the moveiary door I2 which is connected to the main door ment of the door is prevented even though the by hinges t3 and covers a side of the opening ll, said securing means at any three of the four The door I0 is set within the usual wall openedges thereof may be released. ing I4, each vertical edge of the door I0 being 20 The invention broadly contemplates the proviflanked by a jamb which is indicated generally sion of a door having pairs of hinges at each of by the numeral I5. its four vertical edges which are connected with The face of each jamb is chambered or rethe adjacent faces of the door frame. Each cocessed, as indicated at I6, to receive a shiftable acting pair of hinges is in two parts which are post II. Upon the two sides of the door or wall 25 held together by a removable pintle and the pinin which the door is mounted, the jamb is protles of each pair of hinges .are connected so that vided with corner recesses I8 which open toward they may be moved together to release the hinge the door and laterally with respect thereto, these halves. By removing the pintles of any three openings being provided to receive the door pairs of hinges, the door may be swung to open hinges when the door is swung to open position, 30 y position upon the remaining pair. Associated as hereinafter described.

with the hinges is a shiftable supporting unit At each of the four vertical edges of the door which carries means whereby it may be locked or there is a hinge unit i9, which is made up of the fastened to the door, the supporting unit constileaves 20 and 2l, which are secured respectively tuting a part of the jamb and this supporting to the adjacent frame and the door, and each of 35 unit must be removed from the locking means these hinge leaves has the usual knuckles which before the door can be swung upon a selected pair are in interdigitating relation with the knuckles of hinges even though the pintles for the other of the adjacent leaf.

three pairs of hinges may have been shifted to At each of the four vertical edges of the door, release the hinge halves which they normally pivthere is disposed the VelCally eXteIldIlg hinge 40 otally couple together. pintle rod 22 which carries the two vertically eX- The invention will be best understood from a. tending laterally disposed Dntles 23 which are consideration of the following detailed descripparallel with the rod and each of which is adapttion taken in connection with the accompanying ed to extend upwardly through the connected l5 drawing forming part of this specication, with or interdigitated knuckles of a pair of hinge 45 the understanding, however, that the invention is leaves, as shown in Fig. 4. At its lower end, each not to be coniined to any strict conformity with pintle rod has connected therewith the two oppothe showing of the drawing but may be changed sitely directed bars 24, each of which is accesor modified so long as such changes or modiicasible from one side of the door.

tions mark no material departure from the sali- Countersunk in a vertical edge face of the door 50 ent features of the invention as expressed in the is a fixed nut 25 and opposing this nut in the appended claims. adjacent movable post il and in the face of the In the drawing: post remote from the adjacent door edge is a Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a fixed nut 26. The nut 26 of each post is condoor constructed in accordance with the present centric with a passage 2'I which passes through,4 55

the post and is concentric with the nut 25, and this latter nut is concentric with the passage 28 in the body of the door and which leads into the area Il.

Threaded through each post carried nut 26 is an exteriorly threaded sleeve 29, which carries upon the end remote from the door, the knob 3U.

Extending through the threaded sleeve 29 is the smooth stem 3l which forms an end continuation of a screw 32 which is threaded in the door carried nut 25. The screw 32 is of larger diameter than the stem SI and, therefore, one end of the screw abuts the inner end of the threaded sleeve 23. This screw 32 is provided with left-hand threads whereas the sleeve 29 is provided with right-hand threads.

In the opposite end of the screw 32 from the stem, there is formed the longitudinal threaded passage 33 which is adapted to receive the threaded stem portion of a lock screw 34 which is inserted from within the door opening or chamber II. Thus it will be seen that it is necessary to open one of the auxiliary doors I2 before access may be had to this locking screw 34.

The end of the stem 3l remote from the screw 32 extends beyond the sleeve 29 and has secured thereto the knob 35.

Located below the nut 26 in each post I'I is a flanged nut 36. Threaded into this nut is a screw 3l which has upon its outer end the head 38 which is connected therewith by the restricted neck portion 39. This neck portion 39 of the screw extends through a slot 48 in the back face or side of the jamb I5 so that upon rotation of the screw through the medium of the head 38, the screw will be heldagainst longitudinal movement and will effect the sliding or shifting of the adjacent post I'I.

Extending over the rear side of the post I5 across the screw head 38 is a guard 4I for the screw head, which prevents lateral movement of the screw.

While the securing or locking mechanism has been shown upon one side only of the door structure, it is to be understood that such mechanism may be employed at the opposite side also if found desirable. In other words, the door may be furnished with two oppositely disposed locking or securing units as well as the two oppositely disposed mechanisms for shifting the posts Il.

In order that the bars 24 of the pintle rods may not interfere with the shifting movement of the door upon manipulation of the screws 3l, each of the jambs I5 is provided at suitable elevations with recesses 42 into which the bars may inove when the door is shifted. The recesses I8 are also made relatively long so that the pintles at the ends of the bars may move thereinto under certain conditions, when the pintle rods have been dropped.

In order that vibration or the weight of the pintle rods themselves, will not cause the rods to shift downwardly and thus release the leaves of the hinges, a shiftable member in the form of a plate 43 is disposed upon the inner face of each post I'I directly below the ends of the rods 22, as shown in Fig. 4. This plate has the forwardly extending end ears 44 and when the plate is centrally positioned on the post I'I, these ears will lie below the ends of the rods 22 and thus prevent them from dropping. When the rods are to be shifted downwardly for the disengagement of the pintles from the hinges, the plate 43 lying therebeneath may be shifted in one direction transversely of the post so that the ears 44 will be out of alinement with the rods and then the rods may be forced downwardly by manipulating the bars 24.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the operation of the present door structure is accomplished as follows:

First, it is necessary to open one of the auxiliary doors I2 and back out the screw 34 from the main securing screw 32. By now rotating the knob by giving a clockwise turning motion to it, the right-hand threaded sleeve 29 will be moved through the post I'I away from the door. Next the knob is turned in a clockwise direction so as to unscrew the left-hand threaded screw 32 from the door carried nut 25. Following this operation of releasing the securing screws, three of the four pintle carrying rods are shifted down to remove their pintles from the adjacent hinge leaves so as to disconnect such leaves, thus leaving the door suspended only upon one pair of hinges. It will, of course, be understood that the door may be swung upon any selected one of the four pairs of hinges. After the disengagement of the pintles from the several pairs of hinges, the post I'I which has attached thereto the leaves of the pair of hinges which have not had the pintle removed therefrom and which, therefore, have been selected for supporting the door in its swinging operation, is shifted into the adjacent jamb recess I6 by manipulating the screw 3l. This will separate the knuckles of the leaves of the opposite pairs of hinges and permit the free swinging movement of the door in one direction to open position. When the door has been shifted by the use of the screw 31, the operating or supporting hinges will move in the adjacent jamb recesses I8, as will be readily apparent from the illustration of the structure.

What is claimed is:

1. In a structure of the character described, a door frame including two vertical jamb members in each of which is formed a recess opening into the door opening, a door structure disposed in the opening between said jambs, a pair of supporting hinges at each of the four vertical edges of the door, each of said hinges including a pair of leaves having interdigitating knuckles, each of said hinges having a leaf secured to the door, posts disposed vertically in said jamb recesses and adapted to be shifted therein toward or away from the door, the other leaves of the adjacent pairs of hinges being secured to the post, pintles connecting the leaves of said hinges, means connecting the pintles of each adjacent pair of hinges whereby such pintles may be shifted relative to the hinges to disconnect the .hinge leaves, and means for shifting either of said posts into the jamb recess when the pintles of the remotely related hinges have been removed whereby to separate said last hinges for free swinging ci the door, the other leaves of the said remote hinges being secured to the adjacent post.

2. In a structure of the character described, including a door opening having j ambs each of which is provided with a longitudinally extending chamber which opens into the adjacent door opening, a post disposed vertically in each jamb chamber and being adapted to be shifted into and out of the chamber, a door in the door opening between said posts, a pair of hinges disposed one above the other at each of the four vertical edges of the door, each pair of hinges having two leaves one of which is secured to the adjacent door and the other being secured to the adjacent post, a

rod member disposed vertically adjacent each pair of hinges, a pair of pintles carried by each rod member and pivotally coupling the leaves of the adjacent hinges, means coupling each of said posts with the adjacent jamb facilitating shifting the post and the attached door when the pintles of the remotely related hinges have been removed to disconnect the leaves thereof, and means for securing the door to each post whereby pivotal swinging of the door upon a pair of hinges may be prevented.

3. In a structure of the character described, including a door opening having jambs each of which is provided with a longitudinally extending chamber which opens into the adjacent door opening, a post disposed vertically in each jamb chamber and being adapted to be shifted into and out of the chamber, a door in the door opening between said posts, hinges disposed at each of the four Vertical edges of the door and coupling the same with the adjacent post, means for unooupling the door at any of its edges from the adjacent post, means coupling each of said posts with the adjacent jamb facilitating shifting the post and the attached door when the door has been uncoupled from the other post, said door having a central chamber therein which is accessible from both sides of the door, an auxiliary door pivotally supported upon the main door at each side thereof and closing the adjacent side of the chamber, screw means carried by each post and extending into the adjacent edge of the door, and means disposed within the door chamber and engaging said screw for preventing the rotation of the latter.

GEORGE F. CLAUS. 

